The Bridge
by jokermans
Summary: She paused as she saw him walk further away. "Why?" she asked herself. Her heart felt heavy… And then… she recalled all those years of passing each other on the way to school. "Oh… Now I get it…" She finally understood. (An AU Story)


Author's Note:

Hey everyone! It's been a while! I wish I had the ability to write as much as I used to but yeah! Here's something new! So! Here's a short story inspired by a manga I read quite some time ago! It's short and I wanted to make another childhood friend type of romance meeting for them! Also this story is also dedicated for Ann's birthday, November 12! Happy Birthday Ann! Hope you all enjoy! Comments are always appreciated! Till next time!

* * *

It was still in the early morning, Nine-year old Ann was on her way for her first day of school. She was all dressed up, prepped and ready to go. Not afraid, but excited. She was confident to walk by herself all the way to school. She knew the way like the back of her hand.

On the path there, she had to pass by this short bridge which crossed over a small stream. On both sides of the stream were trees and houses of the residential area. It was a quiet walk. Young Ann hummed happily as she walked by herself. But as she was walking across the short bridge, she passed by a boy about her age on the way there heading towards the direction she came from. He had shaggy looking hair and grey eyes. He seemed cheery as he had an extra skip to his step. Curious to where he was going, Ann decided to talk to him.

"Hey! Where are you going?" she asked.

The boy looked at Ann and smiled.

"I'm going to school! How about you?" the young boy smiled as he spoke.

Ann smiled back in recognition.

"Oh! But school is that way!" Ann pointed in the direction where he came from.

The young boy shook his head and giggled.

"I go to school in the next town over that way!" he said with a smirk.

Ann blinked for a moment and then understood.

"Oh okay. Bye-bye!" She waved at him and started walking towards the other end of the bridge.

"Bye!" he said.

The two children were walking away for a moment before suddenly halting. They turned around quickly to look at each other and smiled.

In a quick childish moment, both of them made the silliest faces they could think of towards one another.

They stopped and kept quiet for a single moment, waiting for the other's reaction. Soon, the two of them couldn't hold it in anymore… and laughed. Laughed up till they both were tearing up due to how hard they were laughing.

They smiled to one another once again and waved once more.

"Bye!" They both said.

And just like that, Ann continued on. She never got the name of the boy, but she decided that it didn't really matter, and continued on her way to school.

Thus it began that Ann would bump into this nameless boy on the way to her school every morning. They'd greet each other with a simple hello… before showing their silliest faces to one another on that short bridge.

It continued on no matter what… through rain, winds, snow, and sun… They'd see each other, look funny, and laugh for a good moment before heading on their way to school. Barely any words were said and their names were never shared.

This continued on for 6 years.

* * *

Ren Amamiya was a teenager about to start school once again this year and he decided that before classes would start, he'd go shopping a little for all the things he needed for this school year. But on the way there, he passed by a few shopping districts. He wanted to see all the new shoes, and clothes and look for personal items he might need for himself.

The years have been good to the boy. He grew in height, and it became quite clear to people all around him… that he has grown quite handsome. As he looked through all the clothes which fit his personality, he saw in his peripheral vision, the familiar color of blonde hair on bushy pigtails.

Ren halted for a moment and smiled.

"It's her."

He chuckled to himself.

The mysterious girl he bumped into every morning on that small bridge. Every morning, even after all these years, he acted foolish, stupid, and made silly funny faces with her. He acted like such a kid with her. And yet… he didn't feel any less. She laughed along with him every morning. And so it went and he hasn't stopped since.

Ren hadn't seen her during the few months in between school years. But he recognized the blonde of her pigtails anywhere… even if it was only a glimpse. It was strange because he's never seen her anywhere else aside from the bridge. Maybe this would be a good time to actually talk to each other.

They were friends… Kind of.

So, seeing it was an opportunity, Ren decided to walk towards her direction and he would speak to her directly.

As he followed where she went, he finally caught a glimpse of her once more. She was facing away from him. It seemed that she was talking to a friend of hers, and the two of them haven't noticed him yet from the distance.

Ren continued to walk a bit closer through the crowd, but he suddenly stopped as she turned her head a little… so that Ren could see her clearly.

It was true that Ren hadn't seen her face in a while… but something was different as he looked at her.

There was something about her deep blue eyes that he never really noticed before. Or those rosy cheeks which highlighted her face, her cute nose, or her vibrant pink lips which made him pause for a moment in appreciation.

It was at that moment that his heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't move.

She began to laugh at something her friend said and the two of them started to walk away.

Ren stretched his hand out as if to call out to her but he had a huge problem…

He didn't know her name.

He realized that maybe acting like a kid around her wasn't such a good idea anymore.

* * *

Ann was on her way once again for her first day of school that year. She walked the familiar path to her school and smiled. It was a beautiful day and she was ready to take on whatever her classes we're going to push towards her.

As she walked, she was nearing the familiar bridge she passed through every morning for school. She was mentally prepared for this because it meant that "he" would be there.

The mysterious boy who went to school in the other town.

"Alright… here we go!"

Ann giggled at her childish antics. She was going to show that boy this silly face she practiced the night before in front of the mirror. Her mom thought she was weird, but Ann knew she wouldn't understand.

As she was walking across the bridge, right on time, he saw the familiar silhouette of the boy who she bumped into every morning. She started to wave at him. In the short distance, he raised his hand back in acknowledgement.

As usual, they'd wave first, pretend to walk away from each other, quickly turn around to show their silly faces to one another, laugh for a good moment, and then actually walk to their respective schools.

But as Ann began to get closer to the boy, she noticed something "different" about him.

Ann noticed how he's gotten even taller since the last time they saw each other. His hair now was a bit more kept… his glasses seemed new and it enhanced the appealing parts of his face. His new uniform looked good on him. It accentuated his body very well.

Not only that, but there was a new "aura" around him. He seemed so calm and reserved. It was a vast contrast from the silly boy feeling he always had every morning.

Ann decided to not think to deep of it. In the back of her head, she knew that there was something itching to tell her that she should look deeper with this mysterious boy.

They crossed paths like usual, and just like always, she stopped in her tracks, before turning around once more and showing her silly face at him.

"TAAADAA!" she said with her tongue sticking out.

But as Ann finished making her funny look, she quickly noticed… that for the first time in 6 years… the boy didn't make a face back.

He just looked at her. More like stared at her with a smile… or some crooked smirk… she couldn't quite understand what.

He looked away for a moment and spoke.

"Sorry. I'm not doing this anymore. There's… someone I like." the boy said.

Ann was dumbstruck.

She felt a sudden pang in her chest.

What did he mean by someone he liked? He's not going to make anymore faces with her anymore?

Ann didn't know how to react exactly but before the confusion overtook her completely, she proudly replied.

"FINE THEN! I'll do it myself!" she said to him.

The boy took a step back and looked shocked.

"Uhm… okay?" he replied.

Being unsure of what to do, Ann decided to quickly walk away towards her school.

As she began walking quickly towards her school, she turned her head towards him once more and shouted.

"I'll show you!" she said.

The boy looked confused and shrugged. He began walking away towards the opposite direction as usual.

That night, Ann was conflicted. When she told Shiho about what happened that morning, she thought she was silly. She didn't know exactly how to solve the situation.

"Why would he stop all of a sudden?"

"He has a girl he likes? That doesn't mean…" Ann groaned.

Ann laid down on her bed and thought hard.

"Okay then… I'm going to make the best face ever tomorrow! I'll show him!"

* * *

The next day, Ren began walking his usual route on his way to school. Yesterday morning was pretty weird. It was not the reaction he was hoping for. He tried acting less like a kid and tried being cooler around her. Being "normal". He didn't want her to see him being childish.

Ren wanted to impress the girl. He didn't expect her to suddenly run off like that.

Ren felt more confused. Crushes were hard.

As he approached that familiar bridge, he was surprised to see her standing there in the middle. It appeared that she went there early, as if she were waiting for him for some time now.

She already noticed him a while ago and as he approached, she started moving a little. As Ren got closer, he noticed what she was doing. She was showing her the silliest face he's ever seen her do.

_"God… she was cute."_ Ren thought.

But he didn't want to be a kid in her eyes anymore.

And so… he smiled.

"Bye." he said as he walked past her.

The girl looked motionless as he started walking across the bridge.

Ren felt this was the way to go. "You have to look cool." When the funny faces stop, maybe they could talk normally.

* * *

Ann watched him begin to walk off the bridge. She paused as she saw him walk further away.

"Why?" she asked herself.

Her heart felt heavy…

And then… she recalled all those years of passing each other on the way to school.

"Oh… Now I get it…" she spoke.

She was quiet for a moment.

"I want to make him laugh." she whispered.

The thought that he will no longer laugh for her haunted her mind and heart… The smile he gave her every morning, it cheered her up and helped start her day off right.

She'll never see it again.

* * *

As soon as he was about to step off the bridge, he turned around to see her one last time, only to notice her look pensive as she looked over the stream.

Ren felt his heart twinge in fear.

_"Is she alright?"_ he thought.

He began walking back slowly towards her. She soon noticed him approaching as well.

"Good morning." he said.

The girl looked surprised.

"Oh! Uhm… Good morning… yeah…" she replied.

There was a quick silence before the girl started to twitch…

And then… she started to cry.

Ren froze.

"Hey what's wrong—-"

"What am I supposed to do to make you laugh?" she asked.

Ren looked shocked.

"What?" he blushed.

"I want to see you laugh…" she teared up. She tried looking away for a moment, to not show her face filled with tears. She began rubbing her eyes to stop it from flowing.

"I don't know what to do anymore!" she said.

Ren definitely screwed up.

"I'm sorry! You made the funniest faces ever! But the thing is… You were so cute… and I couldn't look away." he said with his blush becoming more apparent on his face.

The girl sobbed for a moment before pausing herself.

"H-huh?" she said.

Ren shook his head with how foolish he still was.

"You know what… let's start over if it's alright."

He walked up to her with a smile.

"Hi, I'm Ren… Nice to meet you." he said.

The girl looked at him as if she was seeing him for the first time… and then he noticed it. Her face was no longer tearing up. She began to blush.

"Oh… uhm… Hi… I'm Ann. Nice to meet you too." she said softly.

The two of them were quiet once more as they looked at one another. Before they suddenly started to laugh.

"There it is… you laughed."


End file.
